Be Still

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 NIV

My elderly mother is not feeling well and I am anxious about what lies ahead for us in the next while. I don’t deal well with medical crisis. I feel a general swirling in my brain that makes it hard to focus. This verse is my go-to verse today. I take a deep breath and remember that God is in control. I can be still and calm in my mind if I keep going back to God and his sufficiency. I have to ponder this verse repeatedly but slowly I start to feel like the swirling is slowing down.  I can begin to do some everyday tasks and pull my mind away from the what-ifs.

Be still. Here is command to stop racing around mentally and perhaps even physically. Sometimes when people are hysterical what they need is a sharp rebuke or maybe even something physical, like cold water on their face, to startle them out of their panic. This abrupt verse seems to me to be similar in its intent. Stop! And then remember who is in control of the universe: God, who loves me and cares for me, and who will be with me no matter what happens.